Cruising between Budapest and Bratislava

Our Senior Project Executive, Michaela Halliwell, headed off on a three-day river cruise between Budapest and Bratislava.

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She was attending this year’s C&IT International Forum which gathered more than 50 senior event professionals who engaged in one-on-one meetings, content sessions and networking.
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And luckily for them they could do all that while enjoying the spectacular scenery as they cruised through the countryside on board the Scenic Opal, an impressive floating 5* hotel complete with 85 suites.

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Michaela puts her trip into her own words…

“I arrived in Budapest ahead of the group to take advantage of a direct flight from Manchester where I had arranged a complimentary night at the Novotel Budapest Danube courtesy of our Accor Account Manager Chris Ford. The hotel was located on the Buda side of the river, directly opposite the iconic Parliament Buildings and what a view!

“The Buda side is a little quieter and more residential than the Pest side, but getting around was easy. The public transport was efficient, and there are several bridges connecting the two sides of the city. I met the rest of the group as we arrived at the luxury Scenic Opal for our Danube River cruise. The ship was well equipped, the suites were spacious, clean, and had everything you could need. The balcony allowed for spectacular views whilst enjoying a morning coffee. The lounge area had lots of comfortable seating where you could relax, chat, and enjoy the passing scenery. This would be where we held the five content sessions exploring topics from "Harmonising Sustainability with International Travel in Event Planning" to "Mindful Event Planning".
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"Following lunch on board the ship, we embarked on a bespoke tour of Budapest by Microcosmos. It was an immersive and unforgettable experience of the city’s rich culture and history. We drove alongside the Danube where we were able to see things like Buda Castle and learn about the different bridges connecting the city.
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“Once in the Pest side of the city, we were able to explore on foot and admire the stunning architecture and history of the buildings. One of my favourites was St Stephen’s Basilica, it was breathtaking. It took 54 years to build, and you could see why with every intricate detail. We were treated to a surprise concert by a local composer and organist, which was very special. The local markets were interesting to see with people selling their delicacies, we tried the local Chimney cake.

“As the sun set over the river, we enjoyed dinner and drinks at the luxurious 5-star Dorothea Hotel. The hotel has an excellent location, in the heart of the city, we had dinner in the elegant setting of the atrium. Having returned to the ship, we set sail for Bratislava while enjoying the city by night from the Danube River. The twinkling lights and rippling sounds of the water made it even more beautiful. I woke up to the sunshine in Slovakia, and after breakfast, panel sessions were held in the lounge. Speakers discussed hot topics in the industry, it was extremely useful and thought-provoking. These were combined with 1-2-1 meetings with industry suppliers, making new connections for the future.

“We arrived in the City of Bratislava for our walking tour. This was a very different city to Budapest, with a mixture of old and modern buildings by the riverfront. Once in the heart of the old town, the city was clean, spacious, and relaxed. There was a fun treasure hunt which allowed us to see the best sights. On return to the ship, we enjoyed a gala dinner and entertainment. Our final day on board Scenic Opal was a continuation of invaluable content sessions and 1-2-1 meetings.”

It sounds like the event was a huge success with planning having already started for 2026.
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Adam Shepherd, editor of C&IT said:

“It was my favourite C&IT Forum event of the current cycle, but one of the most interesting parts of the trip for me was how much of a hit the boat was with attendees. Numerous attendees remarked on how impressed they were with the vessel’s comfort, quality and staff, and how well they felt the layout suited the event’s format. One of the most consistent bits of feedback I heard from delegates was that the self-contained nature of the boat meant that they actively wanted to engage with the event’s content, and that they ended up doing much more networking around the content than they otherwise would have. It’s no surprise that cruises are a popular option for incentive travel, both with delegates and planners, and they’re particularly well-suited to Europe’s extensive river and canal networks. This dovetails neatly with the significant number of agency attendees who told me that most of their clients are still prioritising Europe for their incentive travel plans due to time and budget constraints.”

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